How do I get the Doctors to listen?

jsue42
jsue42 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1
I have had the same symptoms for over a year, fatigue, a lump on my chest near my breast bone and one under the collar bone, feeling feverish at night....and was completely ignored, told it was my nerves (probably fat on my chest) NOW I feel even worse, I can hardly do my job I'm so wiped out, the lump on my chest is bigger and I now have 2 on my neck, I can't eat without feeling over full-even small amounts. I feel like I have to throw up and very feverish at night. And I am losing wieght.
My question is this...I have an apointment with my doctor, but I am afraid she might not listen. My friend has non-hodkin's lymphoma and has some of the same symptoms, but I have mentioned that before and a doctor said I was paranoid, that he often hears that when people have friends who have cancer! I was very upset, so this is a new doctor. Please help me find the right words to convince her I really want a biopsy. Last year I asked them about the lump on my chest and the doctor said it was fat-then with a wave of his hand said-if it was cancer it would grow really big-really fast. Is that true? I will appreciate any feedback.

Comments

  • dixiegirl
    dixiegirl Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #2
    I went through 3 rounds of anti-biotics for infected lymph nodes. Nothing worked, finally went for biopsy and ct scan. Change doctors if you don't feel like they are listening to you. Your life is too important not to be taken seriously. Take care
  • alsgirl
    alsgirl Member Posts: 2
    #3
    Stand firm and demand a biopsy. I pretty much went thru the same thing and finally found a doctor that sent me for a biopsy but then the surgeon tried to tell me it was cat scratch fever when I hadn't been near a cat in years so I calle another surgeon for a second opinion and he told me it was cancer before the biopsy but wouldn't know what kind until he did the biopsy. My sister went thru the same thing but luckily hers was ok. Hopefully yours will be ok too. Good luck to you and please let us know how it goes.
  • Dixie1980
    Dixie1980 Member Posts: 3
    #4
    my mother felt tired all the time, and said her chest was itching. when she went to the dr he told her it was a cold or the flu and dismissed it. we moved to another state and she went to the dr that she had known for a long time, he thought it was broncitis and treated her for that..she ended up in the hospital and the radiologist said she had cancer (before the biopsy), my mom got pissed and left, she then had the biopsy about a week later and it came back positive. because of the first dr just waving it off, I buried my mother this past Jan. 16th. I agree with alsgirl, stand firm, tell her you want a biopsy and you want it now, your scared and you have too much to live for. if I had known the symptoms of NHL being the itching and everything I would have talked my mom into being checked a lot sooner.
  • rnamro
    rnamro Member Posts: 5
    #5
    The lymphatic system is somewhat odd in it's behaviour and an enlarged lymphnode can be caused by several factors (inflamation, infection ...etc.
    however, to be safe i suggest the following steps to conclusivly diagnose lymphoma:
    1- Get a cat scan to identify the enlarged area and to what extent, this can easily exclude any thing that is not part of the lymphatic system.
    2- get blood work, CBC, urine ...etc, this can help show any enfections or indicators of cancer or tissue damage.
    3- If above is positive, get a needle aspiration biopsy(if it is deep lymphnode, do a cat scan guided needle aspiration biopsy).
    4- if the needle biopsy is inconclusive, which is a strong possibility, then ask for a biopsy, but insist on a labroscopic biopsy rather than a surgical one.
    5- if the labroscopic biopsy is also inconclusive then go for the final diagnostic procedure of a surgical biopsy.

    good luck

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